1
as in certain
having been established and usually not subject to change
hard-and-fast rules that governed the corporate environment in those days included strictures regarding office dress that were rigidly enforced
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unchangeable
not capable of changing or being changed
hard-and-fast beliefs that are the rock-solid foundation of their religion
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Recent Examples of hard-and-fast
While hard-and-fast studies of melatonin's overall efficacy are few, there does seem to be significant anecdotal evidence in scientific literature pointing to melatonin supplementation working well for some individuals and not much better than a placebo for others.
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Michael Franco, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2024
Both Chris and Ines don’t believe there are any hard-and-fast rules with pork.
—Bon Appétit, 30 Oct. 2024
After all, weddings are unique to every couple, so there aren’t always hard-and-fast rules to fall back on.
—Jennifer Adams, StyleCaster, 22 Oct. 2024
Depositphotos So there's some hard-and-fast evidence that men have weaker immune systems than women, therefore get sicker than women, and therefore, likely complain more than women about their illnesses.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hard-and-fast 
Michael Franco, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2024
Both Chris and Ines don’t believe there are any hard-and-fast rules with pork.
—Bon Appétit, 30 Oct. 2024
After all, weddings are unique to every couple, so there aren’t always hard-and-fast rules to fall back on.
—Jennifer Adams, StyleCaster, 22 Oct. 2024
Depositphotos So there's some hard-and-fast evidence that men have weaker immune systems than women, therefore get sicker than women, and therefore, likely complain more than women about their illnesses.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hard-and-fast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-and-fast
Adjective
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The coatings work by interfering with certain wavelengths of light, eliminating their reflection; therefore, more light enters your optics and can pass through to your eyes.Matt Morris, Space.com, 16 Jan. 2025
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Trump’s incoming Justice Department leaders are all but certain to drop the case once Trump has been sworn in.Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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And yet the show has a soothing effect, predicated on the idea that human behavior (and misery) isn’t mysterious or unchangeable.Nina Metz, The Mercury News, 31 Dec. 2024
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Myth #3: Social determinants of health are static and unchangeable.Sean Fogarty, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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In addition to Strong's scrap and boatyard, the stable where Curly would care for Tommy's racehorses resided here.Matt Cabral, EW.com, 12 Jan. 2025
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Warframe is the model that the industry largely ignores, for whatever reason, despite being arguably the most successful and stable.Paul Tassi, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Our planetary neighbor’s atmosphere is unchanging, meaning the substances lost are constantly replenished by volcanic activity.Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Dec. 2024
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There is no conflict here between reaching out to readers who get their news from print, or podcasts, or video clips posted to social media because our message is unchanging.Noah Rothman, National Review, 20 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Political debate around the ERA has ramped up in Biden's final months in office.Michelle Stoddart, ABC News, 17 Jan. 2025
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Ohio State fans’ visceral reaction to losing to Michigan was in part because we have been conditioned for generations to believe a two-loss team, particularly when one of those losses occurs in the final game, signals the end of the season.Jason Lloyd, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Yet unlike a novel, a D&D campaign had no fixed ending; in fact, the game’s uncanny way of resisting all attempts to end it, like Scheherazade delaying her execution with yet another tale, was both a selling point and a real source of anxiety.Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 30 Dec. 2024
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Frontier Communications' pending sale to Verizon exemplifies the convergence of fixed and wireless providers, CEO Nick Jeffery tells Axios.Kerry Flynn, Axios, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.Alia Wong, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2023
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Whether those numbers are an overstatement, or possibly an understatement, is hard to say.Lance Eliot, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023
Thesaurus Entries Near hard-and-fast
Cite this Entry
“Hard-and-fast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-and-fast. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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